Clackmannanshire Council has hit out at plans to reduce bus links to Forth Valley Royal Hospital

A row over public transport from the Wee County to Forth Valley Royal Hospital has escalated.

Clackmannanshire Council has hit out plans to replace the H1 and H2 bus services with a demand responsive transport (DRT) service.

The
move would see the daily bus services, which link Clackmannanshire and the hospital in Larbert, axed in March and replaced with a service which
visitors to the hospital would request.

At
several council meetings last year council members hit out at the plans
and emphasised the importance of the service to residents in the area.

And
now council leader Gary Womersley has sent an eight-page open letter to
members of the NHS Forth Valley board, detailing the council’s argument
against the plans.

In the letter he states that the trust has gone against the commitment it made
to ensure Clackmannanshire is well linked to the hospital when plans for FVRH were unveiled.

Councillor
Womersley said the trust has refused to consider alternatives and the change is focused on cutting costs without considering the needs of residents.

He said: “While, other things being equal, cost is an important factor in service provision, this issue of hospital transport is not first and foremost an
economic issue. It is an access issue affecting those who are most disadvantaged in Clackmannanshire and it is an issue of equality for Clackmannanshire in relation to other areas of Forth Valley.”

NHS
Forth Valley said the letter does not reflect recent developments, with
discussions held with the council before Christmas and more talks planned.

A spokeswoman said:
“NHS Forth Valley has always sought to work constructively with Clackmannanshire Council to identify a suitable alternative transport solution as the current NHS-supported bus service in Clackmannanshire is
poorly used and failing to deliver the targets set out in the planning agreement.

“In many cases the buses travelling from Alloa to Forth Valley Royal Hospital are either empty or carry an average of only four passengers at a subsidy of
around £28 for each return journey.

“A
number of meetings have taken place with the local authority over the last six months and we have put forward several proposals in a genuine attempt to identify a mutually agreeable solution.

“None of these suggestions has been accepted. Nor has the council put forward any alternative proposals.”